Current Site Status

The Benfield Industries, Inc. site includes the area where Benfield Industries mixed and packaged bulk materials for resale from 1971 until 1983. EPA placed the site on the National Priorities List (NPL) in 1989 because of contaminated ground water and soil resulting from facility operations. EPA and the North Carolina Department of Environment and Natural Resources (NCDENR) have investigated site conditions and taken steps to clean up the site in order to protect people and the environment from contamination. Site contamination does not currently threaten people living and working near the site. By monitoring ground water and undertaking Five-Year Reviews, EPA and NCDENR continue to protect people and the environment from site contamination.

Site Location and Background

The 3.5-acre site is part of a larger 6-acre area on Riverbend Street in Waynesville, Haywood County, North Carolina. The site includes several buildings and parking areas. A residential and a commercial business border the site to the north, Riverbend Street borders the site to the east, a residential area borders the site to the south and the Southern Railway and Browning Branch Creek border the site to the west. The site’s broader surroundings include industrial, commercial and residential areas.

From 1971 until 1983, Benfield Industries mixed and packaged bulk materials for resale at the site. The company’s facility handled and stored paint thinners, solvents, sealants, cleaners, de-icing solutions and wood preservatives. In 1982, a fire destroyed most on-site structures and ended operations. In 1989, EPA listed the site on the NPL.

In 2002, Haywood Vocational Opportunities, Inc. (HVO) purchased the site property. In 2004, HVO redeveloped the site into a vocational training center and a manufacturing facility with multiple parking areas. Fencing around the site limits access. The site’s cleanup supports commercial and industrial land uses. In April 2013, EPA presented to HVO Region 4’s “Excellence in Site Reuse” Award for HVO involvement in the cleanup and redevelopment of the site.

Investigation and Cleanup Responsibility / Oversight

Site Cleanup Plan

In 1992, EPA issued a cleanup plan (a Record of Decision, or ROD) for the site. The plan included the following activities:

Excavate and wash approximately 4,600 cubic yards of contaminated soil. Replace clean coarse material and bio-treat the slurry which contains the soil fines and associated contamination. Following treatment of the slurry and confirmation sampling, replace treated soil.

Cleanup Progress

After the fire at the site in 1982, the owner of the facility removed all debris, including usable chemicals, fire debris, recyclable materials and storage tanks, and then covered the site with clean soil. The owner completed these activities before EPA listed the site on the NPL.

In 1998, EPA dug up and treated 13,500 tons of contaminated soil using manure and hay in an on-site treatment unit. In 1999, the Agency conducted additional treatment of approximately 12,000 tons of soil. EPA treated an additional 6,000 tons of soil in 2000. Following treatment, EPA replaced soil in the dug-up areas. The Agency finished grading and seeding the site in 2000.

EPA completed construction of the site’s ground water pump-and-treat system in 2001. The system included two extraction wells and discharged water into the local wastewater treatment system. From 2001 until 2007, the system extracted and discharged over 22 million gallons of ground water. In 2007, EPA reviewed the system and recommended its shutdown. This effort was captured in the Streamline Remediation System Evaluation (RSE-Lite) Report (September 2007). The Agency shut down the system in 2007 and began the use of monitored natural attenuation to address ground water contamination.

The site’s first and second Five-Year Reviews were completed in 2003 and 2008, respectively. The third Five-Year Review was completed in September 2013 and found that the cleanup remains protective of human health and the environment. The Five-Year Review recommended that EPA complete the investigation/evaluation of technologies to address residual contamination in the soils at the ground water table interface in the western portion of the Site and implement appropriate the technology.

The Agency with the assistance of NCDENR, will prepare the fourth Five-Year Review Report which should be completed by the end of September 2018.

Enforcement Activities

Community Involvement

EPA has worked with the community and its state partner to develop a long-term cleanup plan for the site, reflecting the Agency’s commitment to safe, healthy communities and environmental protection. Community engagement and public outreach are core components of EPA program activities.

EPA has conducted a range of community involvement activities to solicit community input and to make sure the public remains informed about site activities throughout the cleanup process. Outreach efforts have included public notices, interviews and public meetings.